Jan 2, 2009

Sport - Cricket;Ponting turns to other teams in search of fresh ideas

Melbourne (PTI): Facing the prospect of a series whitewash for the first time in 132 years of Test cricket history, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting feels they have to turn to other teams in a bid to search for fresh ideas.

"Things are going to be different and we have to look at different ways of going about things," Ponting said.

"We can't sit back as leaders and coaches and keep doing the same thing because it hasn't been working for us. We have to learn from the way other teams are going about things as well. That's not something we're accustomed to. Other teams have been looking at us for 10 or 12 years.

"Now it's our turn to have a look at what other teams are doing with their strategies and tactics," said the under-fire skipper.

But for the moment, Ponting said he and the coaching staff have work cut out to ensure Mitchell Johnson is not overloaded.

"Mitchell has bowled a truck load of overs from the start of India so we have to start looking at his workload," Ponting was quoted as saying in 'The Australian'.

With Brett Lee injured, a lot will depend on Johnson to shoulder the responsibilities with some fresh faces in the Sydney Test, starting on Saturday.

"If we can get him (Johnson) through this next game with a couple of other fresher bowlers around him and hope that he doesn't have to do the majority of work he's had to do in Perth, that would be a good result for us. Then we can start looking at resting him."

Talking about the Boxing Day Test which Australia lost by nine wickets to concede a series defeat, Ponting said Lee's injury on the third day, when South Africa's last three wickets piled 275 runs, proved crucial.

"The reason we found it so difficult with Bing (Lee) going down in the last game was the other guys we had to call on did not have much experience to fall back on," Ponting said.

"When you put that lack of experience without the hard edge of seasoned Test match bowlers who aren't used to backing up over after over it becomes pretty difficult."